Web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism



Jan, 2, 1934. c. G. QulcK x-rr Al.

WEB CUTTING AND SHEET FORWARDING MECHANISM Filed May 115. 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN-rons,

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Jan.2, 1934. c, G. QUICK Er AL WEB CUTTING AND SHEET FORWARDING MECHANISM Filed May 13, 1930 ,QP l

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Jan. 2, 1934. c. G. QUICK Er AL Filed May 13, 1930 4 Sheetslf-Sheet 4 lNVENTORS. 45e/@a zal Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT NOFFICE WEB CUTTING AND SHEET FORWARDING MEcHANTsM pany, receiver Application Mayy13, 1930, Serial No. 451,955, and in Great Britain September 11, 1929 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with printing machines. Heretofore, in cutting mechanisms of the class in which cutting knives yl5 carried by co-acting cylinders cooperate to produce a shearing action, it has been usual to brush the ends of the sheets severed from a group of associated webs, away from the cutting edges of the cutting knives and to feed the sheets through guides by impelling them from their trailing ends. With such an arrangement, there is a possibility, especially in cases of associated products, that the sheets will foul the guides or buckle therein.

An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement in which the sheets are forwarded by means which engage their leading edges and thus overcome the difficulty experienced with the mechanism heretofore used. In the present invention, the sheets are gripped at or adjacent their leading ends by a gripper that is moved to deliver the sheets from the cutting cylinders to any desired point, such as, for example, a folding cylinder; .means being provided for actuating the gripper to move it into gripping engagement with, and to release it from the sheets at the desired points. If desired, means may be provided for.

moving the ends of the webs from which the sheets are to be severed, into position ready for engagement by the gripper, said means preferably being adapted temporarily to grip the said end.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism of generally improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction, as well as convenient, practical, serviceable and ecient in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may vbe made within the scope of what is claimed, Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a diagrammatic arrangement of the cutting and folding mechanism of a printing machine in which the mechanism that is the subject of the invention is used;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the cutting cylinders showing a portion of the sheet forwarding mechanism;

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Figure 3 is an end elevation partly in section and partly broken away showing the cutting cylinders and co-acting gripper mechanism after a sheet has been out;

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing one of the 60 cutting cylinders as seen on the line A of Figure 2 and in the direction of the arrow; and

Figures 5 to 11 inclusive are diagrammatic views showing the sequence of operations while a sheet is being cut from the web and the leading end of the uncut portion is being taken by the grippers.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 2 are cutting cylinders having knives 3 which cooperate, as the cylinders rotate, to effect what is generally known as a clean cut severing of the web 4 that has previously been printed by the printing machine.

The cylinder 2 is provided with grippers 5, which cooperate with clamping bars 6, to grip the leading end of the web or webs 4, at the instant that the knives 3 sever a sheet or sheets therefrom. The clamping bars 6 may be secured to or formed integral at each end with brackets 7, connected to endless chains 8, that at one end pass around sprockets 9, rotatably supported co-axial with the cylinder l; and at the other end around sprockets 10, carried by a tucking blade cylinder 10. Any suitable means may be employed for driving the chains in synchronism with the cutting cylinders. The bars 6 are spaced along the 85 length of the chains at distances proportional to the circumferential distance between the knives 3 on the cylinder l.

The bars 6 are formed with lugs 11, that provide bearings in which a shaft 12, is rotatably supported. Certain portions of the shaft l2 are attened to form seats for gripper plates 13, that are adapted also to cooperate with the bar 6; the grippers 5 and 13 have fingers alternately arranged as indicated at 14 and 15, to enable rela- 95 tive movement to take place between them. To one end of the shaft 12, is secured an arm 16 having a roller 17 running in a track 18, co-extensive with the chain 8, and having a cam portion 19 adapted to close the gripper 13 on the bar 6. The 100 track 18 may be formed at its lower end, not shown, with a second cam portion of opposite sense to the portion 19, adapted to open the grippers 13 when the sheets are taken by the folding cylinder, as will hereinafter be explained. The 105 bracket 7 is provided with rollers 20 which run in an endless track 21 co-extensive with the chain 8.

A stapling cylinder is indicated at 22 and is arranged to cooperate with the tucking blade cylinder 10' which carries a blade that engages with 110 jaws on the jaw cylinder 23 from which the sheets are delivered to a nipping cylinder 24 and then pass to folding rolls 25, 26 whence the sheets pass into the delivery indicated at 27.

In operation, as the knives 3 approach one another to sever a sheet length from the webs, the corresponding gripper 5 moves, on account of the relative rotation between the cylinders, towards the bar 6, as is shown in Figures 5 and 6, and at the instant that the webs are severed, the gripper 5 turns the leading end of the uncut webs over the edge of the bar and thereafter clamps the said end thereagainst, as seen in Figures 7 to l0.

The roller 17 on the arm 16 now moves into engagement with the cam portion 19 or" the track, whereby the arm and with it the shaft 12, is rocked to cause the grippers 13 to clamp the leading end of the webs against the bar 6. The oontinued rotation of the cylinders l and 2, causes the grippers 5 to move away from the bar, leaving the webs gripped by the grippers 13, the relative movements between the grippers 5 and 13 being permitted by the fingers of one entering between those of the other.

The web thus gripped is now drawnV down by the chains between the tucking and stitching cylinders, until the roller 17 engages the cam portion of opposite sense, whereupon the arm 16 is rocked to move the gripper 13 from the bar and thus to release the sheets which have, by this time, been lsevered from the webs by the second set of cutting knives, the said sheets being thereafter carried round by the jaw cylinder, and iinally delivered. If desired, the web may also be nipped between the rounded plate 28 secured to the cyl- 'inder 1 and a rounded abutment 29 formed on cylinder 2, thus holding it securely while it is being cut.

It will be seen that with a construction accord- .ing to the present invention, the sheets are posi- :tively gripped and pulled away from the cutting cylinders and thus are prevented from buckling or fouling the guides, and that by this means it is possible to handle much thinner paper than it is possible to cut and forward by means heretofore used.

What we claim is:

1. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with a printing machine, a cutting Vmechanism, endless exible members, gripping 4devices carried by said members and adapted to grip the leading end of a web from which a sheet has been cut, hold it while the cutting mechanism severs it from the web and convey the sheet resulting from such severance away from the cut- 'ting mechanism.

. gripping plates inovably mounted on said bars, and kmeans for moving said plates toward and away from the bars.

3. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with a printing machine, a cutting mechanism, a traveling endless flexible member, a

vgripping device carried by the said member and adapted to hold the end of the web, means for moving said gripping device into and out of operative position, and means for moving the end of the web into position to be engaged by the gripping device.

4. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with a printing machine, a cutting mechanism, a traveling endless ilexible member, a gripping device including pressure bars and gripper fingers carried thereby and adapted to grip the end of a web from which a sheet has been severed, and iingers carried by the cutting mechanism adapted to turn the leading end of the web over the pressure bars and into position to be engaged by the gripper fingers.

5. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with a printing machine, a cutting mechanism, a traveling endless flexible member, a plurality of pressure bars secured to said member, spindles on the pressure bars, grippers on the spindles, a guide coi-extensive with the flexible member, rollers connected to the member and adapted to follow said guide, other rollers mounted on arms carried by the spindles, a second endless guide engaged by said other rollers and having a cam portion adapted to rock the spindles to move the grippers into operative position.

6. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism for use with a web printing machine, rotatable members, co-acting cutting knives secured to the members and adapted to out a traveling web into sheets, and means on the said members for holding the trailing end of the sheet while it is being out from the web.

7. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism, a pair of rotatable supports, cc-acting cutting knives secured to the supports, traveling endless flexible 1nembers,gripping devices carried by said members and adapted to grip the leading end of a web from which a sheet has been ont, and means on the said supports for engaging the trailing end of the sheet while it is being cut from the web. I

8. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding mechanism, a pair of rotatable supports, co-acting cutting knives secured tc the supports, traveling endless flexible members, gripping devices carried by said members and adapted to grip the leading end of a web from which a sheet has been cut, means for moving the end of the web into position to be engaged by the gripping devices, and means on the said supports for engagingithe trailing endof the sheet while it is being out from the v web.

9. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding device, a rotary cutting mechanism, a gripping dei vice and a moving carrier for said device separate from the cutting mechanism; said device being adapted as a sheet'is cut from the web to simultaneously grip the then leading end of the web and withdraw it from the cutting mechanism.

10. In a web cutting and sheet forwarding device, a cutting mechanism, a pair of rotating carist riers for said cutting mechanism, a gripping dei vice, a separate moving carrier for the gripping device, said gripping device being in running engagement with a carrier for the cutting mechanism and adapted as a sheet is out from the web to simultaneously grip the then leading end of the web and withdraw it from the cutting mechanism.

CECIL GEORGE QUICK.

WILLIAM ARNOLD WHITEI-IEAD. 

